Safe exchange zone in Brandon offers peace of mind: police

Planning to do some Christmas shopping online? Brandon police are reminding residents of a safe place to do – in their parking lot.

The safe exchange zone is a service the Brandon Police Service has been offering for about five years already. People planning to buy or sell something can head down to the parking lot of the Brandon police station by the front doors to make the transaction.

"It is a well-lit parking lot at night as well as heavily monitored by police because we are here 24/7," Sgt. Kirby Sararas, a public information officer with the Brandon Police Services said, adding there are also security cameras to top it all off.

Sararas said the safe exchange zone offers some peace of mind for shoppers.

"We believe it is a good deterrent for anyone getting ripped off. We've heard a lot of people who have tried to make sales online and the person on the other end – whether they are the buyer or the seller – hasn't been honest. So this is a really good deterrent to any of that kind of behaviour," she said.

"Knowing that the chances of somebody whose intent is not good coming to a police station to conduct business is probably pretty minimal."

She said it is a tried and tested idea in other areas, and says the safe exchange zone in Brandon gets a fair amount of use.

Winnipeg police also host Buy and Sell Exchange Zones at each of its four police stations in the city.

With the holidays in full swing, Sararas said Brandon police want to remind residents about the safe exchange zone. She said it is available all year round, 24/7.